Bitter
by santsi
Summary: Inuyasha and Sango share sake by the fire. Well, sake and some 'words of wisdom'. InuSan


**(a/n): **Ehhh... I don't know. Another part of the sake chronicles I guess.

Don't own, never will.

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><p>"<em>You should have just left her alone.<em>" She spits bitterly, her gaze thoroughly focused on the glowing embers in front of her. Oily, black fringe casts shadows over her eyes. He doesn't even bother to turn around and face her. There's never been anything to say so why start now? He stubbornly crosses his arms over his chest and doesn't bother to coax the dying fire.

Though, neither does she.

"Keh."

As usual his response is limited to a syllable of indifference, she feels a wave of heat rush through her arms and legs, reverberating from her core. He should have just left the dead girl alone, but he didn't. The stupid hanyou didn't listen- never listens, and now look what happened. The real one was driven into the arms of another. _Her_ other. And now the damage had been done. Even if it was only one fleeting night of stale comfort, the damage was irreparable and no amount of sake and silent treatments bring back thier fragile group dynamics. What kind of forces cursed her into sharing a bottle of sake with Inuyasha while her fiance was heart-deep in a miko?

After what seems like hours the fire cracks and sputters as if trying to choke out one last sob. The sound causes the hanyou to flinch out of his pride and speak. "It's not my fault."

Logically, Sango knows speaking will get her no where, but she is angry and hurt and spiteful. It's all that hanyou's fault. If he had just listened, if he had just fucking listened for once and not gone after that dead girl, Kagome would have never needed Miroku and he would have never-

"I know."

His shoulders droop slightly and his arms start to uncross. She can see the tension in his stance begin to disappear. "What did you just say?" He doesn't turn around to look at her, but she can feel that a part of him wants to.

"I know. You're right. It's not your fault." The voice is feminine and resigned; defeated. She's not sure who is talking, but the voice sounds like her own. They aren't- couldn't be her words but they feel right when she hears them. She takes a swig of warm sake and notes how bitter is as bitter does. And tastes terrible either way.

"Hn." That's Inuyasha for you, she muses, _bitterly_. One syllable for one thousand meanings.

For some reason that she can't quite fathom, (and honestly, doesn't quite care about.) in an instant he plops down next to her, yanks the bottle out from her grasp, and takes a large gulp.

She doesn't spare him so much as a glance, instead just draws her brows together and rests her chin on her knee. It's going to start getting cold soon, she is sure of that. The leaves have started to turn and wilt on the trees. Vibrant yellows and oranges fall to the earth and crumble beneath the soles of their feet. It seems like autumn came far too soon.

"I don't know why you're drinking, stupid girl." He peers out of one eye to look at her and as he takes another gulp she feels his arrogance is sickening and she just wants to drop kick him and take her sake elsewhere. Instead she stays silent. Inuyasha is brash and uncaring and the last person she wants to be next to right now, because it_ is_ his fault after all. (At least she pretends it is in her head) And it's not like she has anyone else to sit with. The others are gone. Somewhere. With each other.

He takes another drink, "You shouldn't be drinking right now. What if some fucking youkai shows up? Then I have to take care of your ass. All because your upset over that damn-"

She wants to kill him. Instead, for some reason she feels the muscles in her cheeks tense up. Suddenly, she's just smiling, then laughing, and Inuyasha looks just as confused as ever. (But what's new?)

He rapidly blinks at the taijiya and looks mortified as she flushes and doubles over, cackling into the earth, mirth rolling down her cheeks mixing with dirt. How can she laugh? How is this situation anything but hopeless?

"Hey! What is it? What the hell is so funny, bitch?"

Sango sits up and wipes her tear streaked face with her sleeve. She coughs, then laughs again. "You're just" A cough, then a laugh, "such an asshole."

Inuyasha jumps up, sake bottle still in hand, "Did you finally crack or somethin'? I'm not getting your shit right now! I knew it was a bad idea for you to be drinking after all that crap with Miroku."

This just causes Sango to throw her head back and let out a howl of laughter. Inuyasha finds it creepy and unsettling because he's never heard Sango laugh from her gut and something in him is- worried, maybe? She must have lost it, that's the only explanation.

He's annoyed when she snorts and yanks the sake out of his grip and her eye gleams with something deceitful and precarious, "You just should have _just_ left her alone, Inuyasha. And don't chastise me for drinking, when you've had more than me. We're both here right now, aren't we? Sitting next to this useless burnt out fire. Not doing anything about it. Wallowing. What's the use in yelling at each other?" The warm contents of the bottle sloshed around as she dropped her fist to her side. She stands next to him and her gaze shifts to the night sky.

"Keh. I'm not wallowing." She can tell the sake is starting to kick in because instead of beaming a ray of insults at her he just looks to the dark stretch of night, as if he finally see's what she sees. It's terrifying and vast and unpredictable.

"The monk should've known better though." The hanyou finally states bluntly when there is nothing but a smoldering pit of coals where a fire once was- When Sango's laughter becomes a little less creepy and a little more of something he wants to have. Then, when he speaks without vindication and without his fangs bearing under the not-so-moonlit night, Sango knows he's right this time. "Yes. He should have."

"You know, that if he did that, he was never worth it in the first place." It's a statement that Sango doesn't know how to respond too. Inuyasha isn't one for kind words, certainly not kind words directed to the taijiya who had tried to kill him just months ago. She subconsciously tightens her grip of the sake bottle and then realizes-

"No. He wasn't."

The silence between them is comfortable, when Inuyasha finally speaks she can hear the amusement behind his voice, "I guess we should build another fire, then."

Sango picks up a stick and begins to prod the fire. Her smile is bittersweet as her eyes catch his for a moment, "I guess we should."


End file.
